Giancarlo Stanton’s alma mater, Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, Calif., is building a state-of-the-art baseball facility that would put many college and minor league parks to shame. Last July, the school’s board of directors approved the project, which consisted of demolishing the existing stadium and building new dugouts with clubhouses, a new building façade, concessions, batting cage, scoreboard, lighting and synthetic field turf.

According to the school’s website, anonymous donors have contributed $700,000 in honor of those who have served in the Marine Corp to the $3 million project. The facility is named Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

Stanton is among a handful of current and former major leaguers who attended Notre Dame. Others include: Jack McDowell, Chris Dickerson, Brendan Ryan, Jorge Piedra and former Marlins’ catcher Brett Hayes.

“I didn’t see the finished product,” Stanton said. “I saw pictures. It’s cooler than most colleges. It does have as much seating obviously as minor league [parks], but in terms of being nice…the whole thing is turf. There is no dirt at all [except on the mound]. They have more cameras than we have here. They have center field, right, left, an aerial. I have a good place to work out now.”

Notre Dame is scheduled to open its baseball season Saturday.

Rooting interest

Tom Koehler has a rooting interest in this week’s Honda Classic at PGA National. During the offseason he struck up a friendship with pro golfer Jeff Overton. The two worked out in the same gym and got to talking.

“I found out he played and he found out I played baseball,” Koehler said. “It worked out for both of us because we traded some gear. I traded my glove and some bats and he gave me a couple of golf clubs.”

Admittedly, Koehler is “terrible” on the links, but at least his equipment is good.

“I played a decent amount this offseason, but I’m not good at all,” he said. “If there were rankings in the clubhouse I’d be well toward the bottom. Every time we go guys think I’m better than I am because of a couple of my clubs.”

Koehler and other teammates are planning to attend the tournament this weekend after workouts.

Pavano retires

Right-hander Carl Pavano, a member of the 2003 World Series Championship team, is calling it a career.

A shoulder issue ended Pavano’s season midway throw 2012 and the following January he required a procedure to remove his spleen after falling in the snow. Pavano missed all of 2013.

Through his agent, Dave Pepe, Pavano, 38, released the following statement: “"Despite my strong desire to compete and hard work in preparing for the upcoming season, I feel that the amount of time lost from my spleen injury, coupled with the recovery from my complications from that injury, preclude me from continuing to compete at my highest level, which is necessary to perform in the major leagues.

"I have achieved many things as a major league pitcher of which I am very proud. However, I feel at this time I am simply not able to continue to pitch at the major league level, and these last three months of rigorous training have failed to produce the results that I was looking for to allow me to continue my major league career."

Pavano during his 14-year big league career pitched for the Expos, Marlins, Yankees, Indians and Twins.